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Its Friday ... and Annie’s Smiles are here again ...on her blog…A Stitch in Time …I wondered what to bring to the table this week …and then I remembered Holly’s antics in the bath, at the end of last week.
She has had practice baths, in the bathroom sink, but this was a proper one, to see if she liked swimming.
DD set it up with the addition of Robbie’s Play Mobil car ferry, a few stones and large shells …we found that the depth of the water had to be right for her to actually swim …and then off she went…..
She tried climbing the side, to get on to the car ferry ...and succeded ...several times
Then she found it was easier to use the end
Hope her antics made you smile ...if not ....
.... here is one of me and Jake …at the wedding ….yes I know I said there would be no more …but this is classic …not a good one of either of us but …..
……I was trying not to laugh while I was comforting the little drama queen...yes I know it was cruel of me ....after all he did feel it was the end of the world because he could not have a large slice of the cake then and there …and it was not fair that Mummy and Daddy seemed to be cutting it without him.
I really think he will be an Oscar winner of the future.
Take Care. xx
This is the last Wedding Post …promiseKnowing the couples love of graphic novels and comics …and Emma’s for Japan …this amazing shot was created by the Wedding DJ …. .look closely...especially at the hands ….it really looks drawn and that it jumped from a graphic novel page.
When Emma and Steve thought about a photographer they really did not want formal poses but under the pressure of family, they gave in to a few …these we are waiting for still, which can only be expected as the photographers Mum passed away on the wedding day, after a long illness.
He was brilliant, trying to do his job and letting nothing show but in the end he had to leave and, with their blessing, left guests to capture the mood of the party …but what they did not expect was that the DJ would step into the breach. While still doing a fantastic job as a DJ, he managed to capture some amazing ‘party’ shots. (Just Click for a better Look)
LETS PARTY
Whats Going On
TRUE LOVE and HAPPINESS
Take Care xx
Be warned ...this is a long post…more like a book!!!… but I hope you enjoy it …its one of those posts that you need to have a coffee and something yummy at hand …you know what I’m like when I post anything with a little history behind it.
With little time to explore Belfast , the answer, for us, was a tour bus. There is so much to take in, from what you see and what you hear from the guide, especially on this tour, that you need to do the trip at least thrice before thinking where you would want to jump on and off to see more …something for a future trip…and sadly I did not get as many decent shots as I hoped for …Hoorah I hear you shout. Click on them and they will enlarge.
We had two and a half free days to fit in things that would interest us all ….and that included shopping. As you can see on the previous post about W5, that took up one of the days and the half went to Kris’ shopping day ...note the Build-A- Bear box !!
so that left Tuesday for the trip …. and grown up shopping too.
I feel these photos only give you a tiny taste of what Belfast has to show you….the recent history and the beauty ….there is so much of both …but for me I started to understand more of what I had watched on the news all those years ago. I still want understand more so I shall have to read …and read both sides …. from the beginnings of the division and before …and then I still will only just begin to understand.
I have to say it is a complex city but there is a strong feeling that most never want to return to the horror of ‘The Troubles’ which lasted three decades, yet some cant quite feel totally safe, even today.
Flags fly on some lamp posts to remind you which part of the city you are in …mainly for tourists …as locals would know.
The dividing Peace Walls, which often began as make shift barricades, eventually towered 20 foot above street level but although many have gone, some communities want theirs to remain for safety. and some are there to remind all of us to ‘Give Peace a Chance‘ and are a canvas for those who want to speak with a brush …creating quite a tourist attraction.
There is so much I was totally unaware of and I had no idea that there were actual gates erected across some streets and later, doors in the ’peace walls’. In recent years gates and doors have been opened during daylight hours and some permanently.
I was surprised to read that in fact many walls were erected after the cease fire in 1994 to prevent sectarian street fights and intimidation and I found it unbelievable how close the two sides lived to each other and that a road could be a divide, one side unionist with decorated kerbs of red white and blue or republican, accordingly painted in their colours of green white and gold. Shankill (unionist area) and Falls (republican), now had meaning.
I wish I had managed to capture more of the amazing murals that were from both sides. The first is of Bobby Sands ....and all have stories to tell, behind the art.
This is The Crumlin Road goal …so often talked about on the news back then
And the high exterior fortifications of a police station brought home,a little more, what it must have been like.
I would love to have had more photos of this section but you might have got bored.
Harland and Wolff had played a large part in the creation of jobs in Belfast …at it peak it employed 35,000.
Harland, not yet 30, was a general manager of a small ship yard on Queens Island when he purchased it in 1858 … his then assistant Wolff, became his partner.
The ship yard built many famous ships including the ill-fated Titanic…1911 and the HMS Belfast …. 1938, now moored on the Thames ,London, having been saved from the scrap yard.
This is the Titanic Building where one can relive the story of the great ship from its conception to its discovery on the sea bed.
The decline for the company, began in the late 60’s but they still erected two huge gantry cranes …. Goliath in 1969, a mere 315 ft and then Samson, in 1974 at 348 ft. …not sure which is which in photos.
The company had been an innovator in the early years, hugely productive in the years between, so, when the need for the type of ship they built was no longer there, they turned to design, construction and restoration of such things as bridges. Now it is a dry dock which includes Samson and Goliath and supports a small work force but those magnificent cranes are now actually Historic Monuments which will tower above the city for the years to come.
This is the beauty that is Belfast
The original Belfast Castle was built in the 12th century and was situated in what is now Belfast City Centre. It was burnt to the ground in 1708 and is now marked only by street names.
It was decided to rebuild but this time on the out skirts, on the slopes of Cave Hill …now the Country Park, almost 400ft above sea level The building of it began in the early 1800’s using the Scottish Baronial style and was completed in 1877. It is probably more of a mansion than a castle, but has a commanding beauty as you catch your first glimpse. This is one stop I want to make next time I visit.
This beautiful country side is part of Belfast Castles estate and was used in some of the filming of ‘Game of Thrones’
Queens University Belfast was founded by Queen Victoria in 1845, although its academic foundations go back to 1811 ... its doors opened for students in 1849which makes it one of the 10 oldest universities in the UK.
Lastly ...if you are still with me ...this is The Big fish which stands by the Donegal Quay and was designed and sculpted by John Kindress, an Irish multi media artist. It was created to celebrate the regeneration of The River Lagan and is clad in ceramic tiles which are decorated in text and images that relate to Belfast’s history. Inside it is a Time Capsule, which might one day aid scholars of the future, in their quest to know more about those who lived there in 1999.
Told you it was a long post .... but I hope those who have managed to read it, have enjoyed my day on the Tour Bus....and the added notes
Take Care xx
I had forgotten these two shots until I down loaded all the Belfast phtos ...A bored five year old waiting for the boat to cast off ....only his legs moved back and forth for almost 10 minutes.
The same, not so bored five year old ...proud he now has his Tae Kwon Do unifom....a little big ...but at that price, he can grow into it.
Now I'm off to link with Annie's Blog at 'A Stitch in Time's...the lady who started this lttle group of bloggers who like to share what brings a smile to their face.
Take Care xx
W5 is Ireland's award winning science and discovery centre at the
Odyssey, Belfast …and is an amazing, interactive, experience for all
ages
W5 stands for … Who? What? When? Why? Where?
It is so much fun.
It captured the imagination and interest of a 5 year old, a 40 year old
and a 66 year old …. and held it all day…with snack breaks of
course….not bad I thought.
I wish we had taken more photos …although
you are probably relieved … but we were so enthralled with everything
we kept forgetting.
This was one of the pieces that allowed you to make as much noise as you wanted to
Jay playing ....ooops .....solving a problem !!
Kris having fun with one of the strength tests
With each floor, the more demanding the tasks became but as everything
can be handled , even Kris was not bored because you could have fun
just playing with all the things. Many tasks defeated Jay and me and
some we eventually understood but all were so much fun.
This wonderfully huge window looked out onto this
The views were stunning from the windows...as were those when we took a walk around the building for a breath of fresh air, before going back in.
The yellow crane is one of a pair that I will blog about on the last post next week ...bet you will be glad when I finish these trip posts.
If you ever go to Belfast with children ....visit here ...you will not regret it.
Bet you are glad I kept forgetting to take photos.
Take care xx
Firstly I have to confess that my good intentions to tidy and sort went by the wayside last week ….so lets just pretend last week never happened….please ...and I will start again with good intentions to complete the task.
I haven’t crafted in any form either…not really sure where the week went …but I thought I’d try a baking experiment yesterday…I tried to invent a Chocolate Banana Cake ….well I had to do something with those really really ripe bananas ….and I had waited in all morning for the boiler man who never came ….not surprising really …. he’s not due to do the service until Thursday.!!! ...senior moment I think.
Sadly the cake was a bit of a disaster…. heavy and just edible …nice flavour though …but the kids thought it was yummy after school, with a glass of milk….bonus.
…but then its that sort of week … on Monday a broken ball cock …smaller than a marble
…caused water to drip through the ceiling from the hot water tank in the
loft. ... obviously there had been an undetected problem
for some time….I wonder what today will bring????
I am
determined to get on with the reorganization of my room, now my knee,
that I hurt while I was away, is at last improving. It was the pain in
the joint that also stopped me doing things but it is feeling better
today.
The only problem now, is that my brain is in over drive. I
have had time to think…while getting in the zone to attack the chaos. I want
to scrap and make ATC’s …and do some tapestry and Zentangling …
jewellery making too ….and maybe some knitting …..and bread making … but
it is all going to have to wait until the room and desk are sorted …..
tidyish maybe ????….NO it has to be sorted THIS week. I do hope Mojo
stays around though.
Take Care.xx
Ps I still have two
Belfast posts to blog …look out for one in a couple of days … it's on W5
…the most amazing interactive discovery centre for kids … of all ages.
This is Episode Two of our trip to Belfast ( two more to go!!!! sorry) …this was the afternoon before the wedding … and I hope the food lower down the post will make you smile as it did me, when I first saw it.
The entrance ....
I did wonder what the significance of the name of the hotel was …seemed strange but I suppose no stranger than the Ritz or Savoy in London …but when I researched it, it all was clear …in its previous life it was a bank ….not just any bank though … the Headquarters of the Ulster bank.
The site that was acquired in 1836 was at the heart of the mercantile and commercial centre of Belfast. It was not until 1857 that the decision to build was made by the bank directors and then 60 designs were offered up for consideration….the brief being that it should appear elegant, substantial and prosperous. Glaswegian James Hamilton’s design was chosen and the wonderful building was completed in 1860 using Giffnock Sandstone from the quarry in Glasgow.
A local man, George Crowe, created this amazing plaster work within the main hall, with its cherubs depicting Science, Art, Scripture and Music.
Sadly it later fell into disrepair but in 2006 it reopened, totally transformed into a luxury 5* Hotel …more work was carried out in 2010, but the original construction is a listed Grade A building and it really is magnificent.
Now lets get to the food part ….the part that will bring a smile to your face I hope….. My belated Mothers Day pressy from Emma and Steve.
Afternoon tea …(.certainly not for the faint hearted )….started by us choosing which leaf tea we would like. We each chose a different one …Emma being the most daring and me not. I was expecting an elegant china ‘tea for one’ pot… instead a silver 6-cup tea pot arrived … for each of us.
Then we were each served with a selection of 5 dainty-ish sandwiches …no crusts obviously. While we began to enjoy these, two silver cake stands arrived laden with goodies.
This was for Emma and me ...Steve had one of his own !!!!
Each of us had a plain scone and a fruit scone neither of which were
tiny, served with a dish of raspberry conserve , a pot double cream and
one of lemon cream….not sure if much of the plain cream was consumed as
the lemon one defied description …all I can say is OMG. There was even a
small piece of Banana bread too.
Then there were the patisseries
…five each … of a 2-3 delicate bite sized wonders of delicousness…..A small macaroon
filled with chocolate ganache …a piece of chocolate sponge with a real a
chocolate top ….a choux pastry swan … a lemon and raspberry tart …and a
fruit mousse ’thingy’ with a curl of decorated chocolate on top. The
last two were my favourites.
This is the moussey one...Steve cut his open so I could share it with you ...he knows me well.
I hope this food brought a smile to your face as you imagined devouring it ...or is this just too cruel.
Take Care xx
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